31 May, 1996
Commercial fellings cause fall in total output in March
Total output was down by 1.1 per cent in the year to March. Output fell due in particular to the almost 30 per cent contraction in commercial fellings on the year before. Output fell in all branches of industry except manufacturing, external services of trade and of transport and communications, and government services. In February, total output still grew by 1.3 per cent on the year before. After adjustment for seasonal variation, output in March was up by 0.3 per cent from February. This appears from Statistics Finland's monthly indicator of total output.
Output in manufacturing grew by 1.7 per cent in the year to March as calculated per working day. In agriculture and forestry output fell by over 21 per cent due to the hefty decrease in fellings. There was a fall of 8.5 per cent in output in the construction industry as well. In the wholesale and retail trade output decreased by just under half a per cent according to preliminary data, as did that in transport and communications by a good 2.5 per cent. In other services and government services, instead, output increased by 2 per cent.
Source: Statistics Finland, Monthly Indicator of Total
Output, March 1996
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